Kathleen R. Francis

Francis, Kathleen R.

Age 86, passed on February 20, 2026.

Beloved wife of Carl for 65 years until his death in 2025. Dearest mother of Sandy (Bill) McHenry, Paul (Michele) Francis, Jim (Sharon) Francis, Carolyn (Steve) Ball, Beth (Bruce) Brown, and Chris (Sarah) Francis. Proud grandmother of Sandi (Kyle) Ray, Allison (Patrick) Combs, Tom (Tara) McHenry, Becka McHenry, Tyler (Megan) Francis, Justin Francis, Jason Francis, Ben (Alana) Francis, Julie Francis, Ryan Francis, Cody (Elizabeth) Ball, Rachel (Brandon) DeMand, Kailee Ball, Jenna Brown, Morgan Brown, Cara Brown, Cole Francis, Luke Francis, and Margaret Francis; great-grandmother of Kenny, Colin, Quinn, April, Penny, Auggie, Nora, Lucy, Savannah, Jack, and Penelope. Dear sister of Maryann Piccinini (late Angelo), the late Betty Torongo (late Hector), Margaret Eovaldi (late Richard), Barbara Anderson, the late Richard Sharer (Sandy), Chuck Sharer (Kathy), Joanne Laskowski, the late Jeanne Schulte (Tony), Bernie Beach, Robert Sharer (Karen), Raymond Sharer (Liz).

Born to Marie and John Sharer, the fourth of 13 children. Raised on Townsend Street in Detroit and attended St. Anthony Catholic School. She married her high school sweetheart, Carl, on May 2, 1959, and was with him until his death in 2025. She worked at Chrysler Corporation until starting her family. She and Carl raised their family in Saint Clair Shores, MI, where she lived until her death. They spent much of their retirement time at their cottage on Wiggins Lake in Gladwin, MI.

She always surrounded herself by family throughout her life. She and Carl loved vacations with family – including trips with her parents, siblings, and kids. Many of those trips were summer vacations on the shores of Lake Huron in the Oscoda area.

She was inseparable from her husband and best friend, Carl. For decades, they were very active at St. Germaine Catholic Church and School, where the family attended weekly mass and where her six children attended school. They also had a pool in their backyard in Saint Clair Shores where they spent countless summer days with family and friends.

She loved her grandchildren dearly and left each of them with a lifetime of dear memories. From sleepovers at her house, family parties, weekends at the cabin, or just a Sunday visit, she loved to be with them. Some grandchildren would jokingly, yet accurately, say they owe at least part of their competitive spirit later in life to Kathleen's indiscriminate competitiveness at family board games and card games.

She loved to cook and bake, and her house was always filled with the great smell of her latest endeavor. She enjoyed canning fruit and vegetables grown in the backyard garden. Her grandchildren have many memories of pancakes at Grandma's. She was in her prime at large family gatherings, whether a holiday, birthday, or just a random visit that attracted the family to her house. She was always the symbol of hospitality and the first to offer her homemade baked goods. She made large family parties look effortless - a trait her children finally appreciated in adulthood.

While she had many interests and hobbies of her own, she was always there to wholeheartedly support the endeavors of her husband, children, and grandchildren in any way she could. She always lent a word of encouragement, no matter the situation. You can see her spirit in the generations that follow her. She joins her husband, Carl, in heaven.